Oxford Books (11)

Here is the second part of the books I got in Oxford. If you missed the first part, click HERE. So many good books to read!

(from top to bottom)

A small book of poems by John Donne - This little book is just the perfect size to be along for the ride in my bag. It is from an Oxfam bookshop so it was super cheap, and it was my reading companion on a few mornings as I drank a cappuccino at Turl Street Kitchen.

Watership Down by Richard Adams - I have heard such good things about this book, but had never read it. So, when I found it in an Oxfam bookshop for only a few pounds, I figured it was the perfect time to snatch it up. It takes place in England. It is about a group of rabbits who leave their comfortable burrow to escape impending danger to seek a safer place to dwell, only running into danger along the way. I have just started reading it, and can see how our human tendencies of development and expansion (and destroying natural preserves) will be brought to light through these little creatures' journey.

The Pocket Guide to Oxford - I didn't really need a guidebook for Oxford, but this one is fun and focuses on all the places I love. I read through this book at least 2-3 times during my stay and I referenced it daily. It told me about the colleges that allow visitors, when they were open, and if they cost, which was extremely helpful for me because I wanted to go into every college that I could, but didn't want to spend lots of money on that alone. The book is cute and interesting to read. It is written by the dodo bird from Adventures of Alice in Wonderland, so it has some silly comments and little drawings of the dodo in the margins.

The Napoleon of Notting Hill by G.K. Chesterton - Another Chesterton find. I had been wanting this book for years, and never found it, until now. I look forward to reading this story about all the boroughs of London becoming their own kingdom. I am reading another Chesterton right now, so this one is in my queue. 

Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson - This was completely random find at an Oxfam bookshop. It is three stories about country life in the 19th century in Oxfordshire. I haven't started this yet, but do look forward to learning more about Oxfordshire just before the turn of the century.

The Poetic Image by C. Day Lewis - I found this book in the used section of Blackwell's Bookshop. It is about poetic imagery, of course. Simile, metaphor, and image used in poetry. I haven't started this book yet, either, but I expect to learn more and therefore will really enjoy reading it. If it deals with words, poetic image, and language, I'm in.

Essays on Middle English Literature by Dorothy Everett - A used book from an Oxfam bookshop, it is from the Herford College Library. I know because the inside front cover has a "Hertford College Library, Oxford" stamp. It was probably discarded when a new edition came out. This will be a challenging book for me, as it will be like I am in a Medieval Literature class without the professor. But when I feel especially scholarly, I will dive in.

London: Hotels & More by Angelika Taschen - This larger, coffee table book has thick, lovely pages and really beautiful photos of the fanciest hotels in London. It separates the hotels by borough, and also shows other places of interest around that hotel. I found this used book at an Oxfam bookshop for just a few pounds, and it's so pretty and fun to look at. I was collecting potential ideas of which borough to visit on my last day in London. I did get several ideas.